Lugbill Designs Founder Reveals Secret to Starting Interior Design Firm

Lugbill Designs Press
Lugbill Designs Founder Reveals Secret to Starting Interior Design Firm

In an interview with Voyage Chicago, Erica, founder of Lugbill Designs, was asked how things were when she was starting to pursue her passion. Here, she reveals her secret into building a successful Chicago-based interior design firm.

“It was a relatively smooth process starting Lugbill Designs,” Erica recalls. “We were able to start the business small and build a really great foundation which set us up for success.”

While starting the business was easy, Erica reminisces she is no stranger to long hours and short weekends. As with any startup, she struggled finding a work-life balance, all while building a network of trusted vendors and contractors. But, what makes it all worth it is seeing the business grow into what it is today.

Since starting Lugbill Designs in 2010, it has evolved into one of the most revered interior design firms in Chicago. It has acquired a depth of experience in designing and managing interior design across the metropolitan area, involving décor, full renovation and new construction projects.

The seven-year old firm has established a wide network of independent construction companies and vendors, enabling them to handle everything for their clients from consultation, design to installation and all that entails.

Lugbill Designs is distinguished for producing customized designs that embodies a client’s personality and lifestyle. The firm offers clients a “choose your own adventure” approach to interior design. For Erica, there is no one size fits all, what works for one client’s life won’t work for another.

“Building a relationship with clients so that we know the design will work for their life is essential,” Erica tells Voyage Chicago. “We’re passionate about making clients’ homes work for them in a way that only true customization can achieve.”

Interpreting a client’s style and determining the practical needs of a space influences the aesthetic direction of the project. Erica believes that it is her ability to connect with her clients and understand what they want make the process more relaxed and seamless from start to finish.

To know more about Erica Lugbill, log-on to her website: www.lugbilldesigns.com.

Testimonial

My partner and I had some necessary corrections made to our condo unit which caused us to have to adjust some of the layout of our living space. We had to relocate a wine refrigerator that had lived in the living room for years. We wanted to relocate it into our kitchen but was overwhelmed with the task.

Talking with Erica Lugbill was the best thing that could have happen for our place. She visited us and immediately understood what we wanted. In talking to her, we told her that we might want to change a couple other items in our kitchen at the same time we had the refrigerator installed in our kitchen. She took pictures, measured the entire kitchen, and told us that she would start designing a "mini" makeover. Within 3 days, she came back to our house, and showed us a 3D rendering of a couple ideas for the placement our wine frig within our kitchen. We loved both choices, and settled on one of them. She also suggested several options for the other concerns we had with the kitchen. Erica helped us pick the products for our "mini" makeover and couldn't wait for the process to start.

After wards, Erica introduced us to her construction crew, when they all came over for a review of the work order. This was something I didn't expect, but truly appreciated.

The work began within a week, and her crew was completely professional with the entire scoop of work. They spent half a day just preparing the work area and protecting all the other rooms from dust and work debris. Since we have a loft, our kitchen is open to the dining room which is open to the living room, the crew understood this, and completely insulated the rest of the house.

Erica visited daily to check on her crew and on us, making sure to work out the smallest construction details and to answer any of our questions or concerns. Once the process was completed, the crew spent another half a day cleaning and removing everything that they brought into our condo.

We ended up with a one of a kind kitchen compared to the rest of the building, a perfectly incorporated wine refrigerator, new back splash tile, new pendant lighting system, new brushed nickel wall switch & outlet plates, and to finish off the project, a fancy industrial kitchen faucet.

Before hiring Erica, I always thought a interior designer would be an expensive proposition, but we were pleasantly surprised that this wasn't true. Erica is extremely talented, kept with our budget, and was completely professional. She is a great listener and didn't push her own choices when it came to material options. Not only did everything come out wonderful, put she suggested a different color for an accent wall, and it is amazing how it transformed the adjoining room. She is amazing, pick up the phone and call her!
Joe - Winnetka, IL